Learn About Playing Roulette

Read some Roulette articles about Roulette strategy, Online Roulette, Roulette System and pick up some Roulette Tips

There is little you can do from a strategic point of view other than try to keep the house edge to a minimum. Casinos often have special rules which have a direct effect on the edge.
Below you will find a few of the rules you should be on the lookout for:

1. The first special rule to watch for is the 'surrender' option. This is not to be confused with the Blackjack rule with the same name. In Roulette, this rule applies to outside bets which pay even money only, such as odd/even, red/black, and high/low. If the balls lands on the 0 or the 00 you only lose half your bet, rather than the whole thing. This affects the house edge considerably; after all it is the 0 and 00 which account for the high house edge in the first place. Of course, the payoffs aren't as sweet for outside bets, but simply by finding a table with the 'surrender' rule, you are improving your odds substantially.

2. The 0 and 00, by the way, is a very interesting point. The thing to look out for is tables with only one 0, or European tables. Primarily found in Europe (obviously!), but not exclusive to the continent, these tables offer a much more attractive house edge from the player's point of view. If you can find a European table to play on, you are reducing the house edge from 5.26% to 2.7%. True to the name European roulette tables are found more often in Europe, but in the world of online gambling they are just a click away. Always try to keep this point (second rule) in mind as it will lead
to more success and thereby more money in your pocket.

3. The third rule to be aware of is the aptly titled 'En Prison'. This is when the ball lands on 0 and applies to only even-money outside bets. In this situation, the player does not immediately lose his bet, but instead the bet remains on the board and is said to be 'in prison'. Then, on the following spin, the fate of that bet is decided. If the previous bet wins, the money is returned to the player, but with no extra winnings. If it loses, the money is swept away and if 0 appears again the bet remains 'in prison'.

A lot of people talk about strategies or systems in Roulette but from a purely statistical point of view they don't really make any sense. Keep this in mind when evaluating any system you come across; it doesn't matter if the number 16 hasn't come up in the last 7 thousand spins, the odds of 22 coming up on the next spin are the same as all the rest of the numbers. That is a statistical fact, and must not be forgotten. Consequently, the best Roulette strategy is one of simple mathematics. Never play American Roulette if you can help it. The American roulette wheels have the extra double zero. All this does is double the house odds in their favor. Play European Roulette exclusively when given the option. Look out for special rules which favor the player, such as 'surrender' and 'en prison'. And finally, prepare yourself and play responsibly. Enjoy yourself!

Roulette Rules

Roulette Strategy

Roulette is a game with a wide variety of betting options and techniques. Played at a roulette table with a roulette wheel and a ball, and you are essentially betting on the number or color of the slot where the ball is to eventually stop. The minimum and maximum bets vary so check on your online casino's site.

Your bet payoff depends on the kind of bet you place, and there are lots of choices. It's possible, for example, to bet on odd or even numbers, red or black (or the green "zero" slot), groups of numbers, and also columns and rows. Below is a short description of the kinds of bets you can place, as well as their payoffs:

Single - betting on only one number. Payoff 35 to 1.

Split - betting on any two numbers by placing your bet on the line between them. Payoff 17 to 1.

Trio - betting on three numbers at their intersecting point (possible with either 0, 1, and 2 or 0, 2 and 3). Payoff 11 to 1.

Corner - betting on four numbers by placing your bet at their intersecting point. Payoff 8 to 1.

Four numbers - betting on the numbers 0, 1, 2, and 3 by placing your bet at the intersection of 0 and 3. Payoff 9 to 1.

Street - betting on a row of three numbers by placing your bet at the end of the row. Payoff 11 to 1.

Line - betting on two "streets" of numbers by placing your bet at the end of both rows, on the line between the rows. Payoff 5 to 1.

Dozen - betting on the "First 12," "Second 12," or "Third 12" boxes, as marked, covering 12 numbers each. Payoff 2 to 1.

Column - betting on a column of numbers by placing your bet in any of the three "2 to 1" boxes on the ends of the table. Like betting on dozens, columns cover 12 numbers. Payoff 2 to 1.

High or low - betting on the either the box marked "1 to 18" (low) or "19 to 36" (high). Payoff 1 to 1.

Red or black - betting exclusively on which color will come up. Zero does not count for either! Payoff 1 to 1.

Odd or even - betting exclusively on whether the number will be odd or even. Zero does not count for either! Payoff 1 to 1.

Roulette Table Odds

Roulette Strategy

Here we’ll attempt to explain the numbers and likelihood of landing on a given number, or a cluster of numbers. Unlike other games, it is very simple to calculate the probabilities in Roulette. It’s important to understand the odds you face when making any decision when gambling so study this table and commit it to memory if you want to become a smarter and more accomplished Roulette player.

The American Roulette wheel has 36 regular numbers, a zero, and a double-zero. Hence, you have 38 possible spaces on which the ball may land. So when you are betting on a single number, you have a 1/38 chance of winning. Over time, you will win 1 out of every 38 spins. Have a look at the probabilities for every possible outcome
illustrated in the table below.

As you can see the payout for a single number is only 35 to 1. As I stated before,
you will need to spin the wheel 38 times in the long run to be ensured a win. This is
where the house gets its edge. 2/38 spins will go to the casino, which converts to a
5.26% house edge.

Keep in mind these are the odds for the American Roulette table. The European
table does not have the double-zero, so it is much more advantageous to the player. When given the choice, you should always opt for the European table.